Sensors able to detect chemical or biological agents often contain polymer or biometric films as the sensing mechanism. Such sensors often fail to detect many native chemicals or biological agents, such as may be found in ambient air samples. In many cases, modification of a native chemical or biological agent as found in ambient air is required in order for the sensor to be able to detect it. In other cases, other ambient air conditions, such as temperature or humidity interfere with detection. In still other cases, low reactivity of the film, particularly under ambient conditions, may interfere with detection.
In addition to their inability to detect chemical or biological agents in air, many sensors are also unable to detect the effectiveness of any neutralization agents on these chemical or biological agents.
Attempts to overcome these deficiencies in current systems have tended to focus on changes to the polymer or biometric films rather than on other properties that may affect detection.